The Sun Guards of Thyrsus
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Galaxy at War See also: GaW Military Units The Sun Guards of Thyrsus are one of the most feared military units in history, said to be the only group of warrior who could go toe to toe with The Mandalorians and win. The Sun Guards originate with the Echani Command, a confederation of six worlds dominated by a Near-Human offshoot Species. The Echani have silvery hair, chalk-pale skin, and a remarkable sameness in body type and facial features, all believed to be the result of Arkanian experimentation with the Human genome. On the worlds known as the Six Sisters, the Echani develop a kinetic communication style and can instantly identify an individual through subtle shifts in body language. This sensitivity translates well to physical combat. During the Bengali Uprising, the Echani on the sun-baked world of Thyrsus rebelled against the female council that ruled the Six Sisters, breaking their planet off from the others. Their military units bore the emblem of the red suns of Thyrsus, and their elite special-missions division evolved into the Sun Guard. The Thyrsians are a diametrical contrast to the rest of the Echani: male dominated instead of female dominated, heavily armored instead of lightly armored, drawing spiritual lore from the sun rather than the moon, emphasizing bladed weapons over unarmed combat, and dark hair and skin. In at least one way though, the Thyrsians retained a traditional element of Echani arts: the uncanny ability to read the body language of others and to predict their next move. At first, the Sun Guards led armies against the Echani. The group later turned its attention to The Mandalorians, alarmed by their expansionist tactics. Clashes between the Sun Guards and The Mandalorians usually took the forms of duels to the death between small groups of combatants rather than full military mobilizations. More than a century before the rise of the Empire, Thyrsian culture became fixated on Force lore, particularly the prophecy that the galaxy's savior would be known as "The son of suns." The Sith Order, still in hiding after the Battle of Ruusan, play on the Thyrsian belief that The Sith are the subjects of this prophecy and encourage the Sun Guards to follow Sith interpretations of Jedi orthodoxy. The Sun Guards emerge as a Sith cult, and Darth Sidious brings members of the Guards into his employ as mercenaries and assassins. Near the end of the Clone Wars, Sidious tasks Asajj Ventress with eliminating the order. Of the members of the Sun Guards she spares, some join Emperor Palpatine's Royal Guard. Force-sensitive Sun Guards become candidates for the Imperial Shadow Guard. Others, such as Kenix Jir, are used as cloning templates (If fact, a Sun Guard had been considered as a possible prime clone for the Republic's clone army). Armor and weaponry from dead Sun Guards have fallen into the hands of bounty hunters such as Moxin Tark, who exploit the fearsome reputation of the Sun Guards. Methods Members of The Sun Guards of Thyrsus are known for their black armor (Although variants such as yellow, silver, and red are not uncommon). Instantly identifiable and terrifying to enemies, the heavy armor conceals a number of tools and weapons that influence the Sun Guards' capture-and-kill techniques. The visual system built into the helmet's visor is capable of thermal imaging and of recording both infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. A macrobinocular scope is used for surveillance and sniping. Most members of the Sun Guards have extendable Vibroblades in their gauntlets and spikes concealed in both their boots and in their knee guards. The exterior of their forearm gauntlets and their fist plates can be heated to flesh-burning temperatures in seconds. The armor itself is highly resistant to damage but does not significantly reduce movement. Many members of the Sun Guards accessorize their kit with Dart Launchers lining the inside of each arm and miniature Flamethrowers. With their deadly outlay of personal gear, it's not surprising that the warriors of the Sun Guards prefer to face their targets up close. Members hold the Force Pike as a near-sacred weapon. Many variants of the Force Pike exist, but all are approximately 1 meter long and are wielded with two hands, providing the means to block incoming strikes and to lash out with the blades at either end. Most sport Double Vibroblades and are reinforced with Cortosis ore so that they can stand up to Lightsaber blades. The ritual form, inherited from the Echani, has re-hot tips activated through grip controls. The Force Pike incorporates Stun modules into each end to deliver debilitating shocks. The Sun Guards considers Jet Packs a dangerous and foolish extravagance and is contemptuous of Mandalorians' reliance on them. Over the years, the Sun Guards developed a sort of melee version of antiair combat, employing Force Pikes in precision strikes to disable or overload Mandalorian Jet Packs. Early in its history, religion was a primary motivator for the The Sun Guards of Thyrsus, although it eventually became a group of mercenaries. Religion regained an influence on the group when it fell under Sith sway, but one truth remained- the Sun Guards still insists on getting paid. It is known for delivering its targets alive but maimed. Missions The Sun Guards fought its Echani cousins in a string of crusades millennia ago, and it learned that war leads to poverty. The Sun Guards realized that its combat skills were virtually unmatched in the greater galaxy, and it became an elite unit of high-priced mercenaries. The Sun Guards' missions include rescue, abduction, sabotage, wholesale slaughter, and more. The only factor the jobs have in common is that other parties have already tried them and failed. Members of the Sun Guards often work in teams of four to penetrate unassailable keeps and destroy ultimate weapons. They are adept at urban combat, including building sweeps and the block-by-block elimination of enemies. They can take on any foe in personal combat and have been known to earn extra credits in the gladiatorial pits. The only opponent able to stand against a Sun Guard is a Mandalorian, and the two factions hate each other with professional jealousy that burns brighter than the Oolex Pulsar. Over the centuries, The Mandalorians and the Sun Guards have fought endlessly (Most notably when both groups hired out to opposing sides in the Battle of Sintheti), with neither side winning any advantage except bragging rights. During the years leading up to the Clone Wars, Darth Sidious used his Sith status to order the Sun Guards into missions of his choosing. These assignments included the assassination of troublesome Senators and recalcitrant business barons. Sidious also used members of the Sun Guards to protect his hidden Coruscant lair, where they summarily executed any underdweller who hot too close. The Sith Lord's apprentice, Darth Maul, regularly engaged members of the Sun Guards in impromptu practice duels. Rank Structure The Sun Guards began as a special-missions force in the hierarchy of the regular Thyrsian military. As the centuries pass and the Sun Guards largely abandoned Thyrsus, it became a group of seminomadic mercenaries similar in organization to The Mandalorians. Initiates into the Sun Guards receive the rank of Stellar Legionnaire and are allowed entry for a provisional term of up to one year. Any violation of Sun Guard etiquette, such as cowardice under fire or undisciplined drunkenness, is grounds for immediate expulsion. Those who pass the initiation period are promoted to Stellar Tribune, a position that gives them control of a Sun Guard legion numbering between 20 and 40 soldiers. It is rare to encounter a member of the Sun Guard Officer Corps, which begins at Twisuns Legate, a role that allows command over two to four legions. The remaining ranks in the Sun Guard hierarchy, in ascending order, are Twisuns Praetor, Thychani Commander, Thychani Dictator, and Supreme Sun Guardian- a position comparable to that of General is most standard militaries. Advancement through the ranks is the result of heroism in combat. On the flip side, cowards- even elite Sun Guardians- can be expelled from the ranks at any time. When Darth Sidious set his plans in motion to create a clone army, the Kaminoans considered candidates from the Thychani Commander rank and above as templates for their clone troopers.